Tesco has joined forces with Pampers to provide parents of premature babies with free nappies.

The UK’s biggest supermarket has teamed up with the nappy brand to offer free Pampers preemie protection nappies specially designed for premature babies in over 350 Tesco pharmacies across England, Scotland and Wales.

It comes as one in 13 UK babies are born prematurely and have skin that is up to two times thinner than that of a full term baby, making it highly sensitive to touch, according to the business.

The Pampers preemie protection nappies aim to make nappy changing easier and support up to six hours of leakage protection to help keep premature babies’ skin protected.

They come in sizes tailored for babies weighing less than 1.1lb, making them three sizes smaller than standard newborn nappies.

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Tesco category buying manager for baby products Sarah Sturgeon said: “We know how overwhelming the early stages of parenting can sometimes be for families, particularly those with babies who are born prematurely.

“That’s why we’re proud to be working with Pampers to make sure parents have access to nappies that are specially designed for their little ones who arrive early.

“We hope that this little help will make a big difference and relieve some of the stress for parents with new babies that may need extra support.”

In July, Tesco unveiled a series of initiatives to support children and families facing food shortages over the school summer holidays.

The measures, which came under the supermarket’s stronger starts programme, were designed to support children who would normally receive free school meals during term time and were at risk of missing meals over the holiday.

The grocery giant also opened its delivery slots earlier to help families over the busy summer period.